Combination pipe tamper and reamer



D c- 4, 1 62 s. B. HOAG, JR, ETAL 3,

COMBINATION PIPE TAMPER AND REAMER Filed Sept. 28, 1959 B H INVENJORSSELh Y/V 04 6, R. Q1/0053}: H. KANDE/P United States Patent ()13,066,682 COMBINATION PIPE TAMPER AND REAMER Selwyn Barton Hoag, In,1219 Speer Blvd, and Rudolf H. Kander, 1005 Acoma St, both of Denver,Colo. Filed Sept. 28, 1959, Ser. No. 842,851 3 Claims. (El. 131-243)This invention relates broadly to smokers accessories and, morespecifically, to a combination pipe tamper and reamer.

Pipe smokers, after filling the bowls of their pipes with fresh tobacco,find it necessary to tamp r pack it down therein to reduce thepossibility of tobacco particles falling out and also to prevent thepipes from drawing too freely which makes the inhaled smoke hot inaddition to causing difficulties in connection with keeping the tobaccolit. This operation, of course, is a simple one and is most easilyperformed with one of the fingers prior to the time the tobacco is lit,except perhaps, in the case of a pipe with a small bowl or one that isheavily caked to the extent that the finger cannot be inserted therein.Once the pipe has been lit, however, tamping the hot tobacco in the bowlis a most uncomfortable procedure if performed with the finger; yet, itmust be done to keep the hot ashes from falling out onto clothing and tocompress the humid layer of ashes in the top of the bowl so thatcombustion of the remaining tobacco may continue. As a result many pipesmokers attempt to protect their fingers from the hot tobacco by using afolder of safety matches as a tamper which, of course, is a verydangerous practice.

Another problem faced by pipe smokers is that of keeping the bowlscraped substantially clean of the socalled cake that forms thereinafter repeated use. This cake is generally considered undesirable,especially after it has built up to an appreciable thickness, because itcan cause the pipe bowl to crack or check due to uneven expansion Whenheated. In addition, a thick cake fills up a considerable portion of thebowl preventing its being filled to capacity with tobacco. Furthermore,a good grade of pipe, whether of wood or ceramic material, is naturallysomewhat porous permitting it to breathe through the Walls of the bowl;however, a heavy cake in the bowl is substantially impervious andinterferes with this desirable breathing action.

In any event, most pipe smokers prefer or keep the bowl scraped free ofany appreciable cake. There are, of course, a number ofspecially-designed tools available in the smokers accessory line forthis very purpose. Because of the fact, however, that a reamer is usedrelatively infrequently, it is usually not carried on the smokers personand hence is not available when needed. Secondly, the majority of toolsfor this purpose are somewhat bulky and quite uuhandy to carry around inthe pocket or, if this is done, they usually wear holes in the pocketand become lost.

It is, therefore, the principal object of the present invention toprovide a novel and improved smokers accessory in the form of acombination pipe tamper and reamer.

A second object of the invention is to provide a smokers article of thetype aforementioned which is extremely small, compact and includes noprojections that can wear or tear the pockets.

Another objective is the provision of a pipe tamper having a thermalbarrier located therein adapted to protect the user against the hightemperatures existing inside the pipe bowl.

Still another object of the invention is to provide a reamer havingnovel ribbed inner and outer surfaces the latter of which is adapted toscrape the cake from the inside of a pipe bowl when rotated therein.

3,06%,b82 Patented Dec. 4, 1962 An additional objective of the inventionis the provision of a pipe tamper formed from a heat-resistance materialable to withstand burning tobacco temperatures within a pipe bowl of inexcess of 1000 F.

Further objects of the invention of the class described are to provide acombination pipe tamper and reamer that is extremely inexpensive, easyto use, versatile, decorative in appearance, simple to manufacture, andone that is adaptable for use with many different sizes, types andstyles of pipe bowls.

Other objects will be in part apparent and in part pointed outspecifically hereinafter in connection with the description of thedrawing that follows, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation showing the combination pipe tamper andreamer of the present invention in place on the smokers finger andpositioned within a pipe bowl tarnping the tobacco down therein;

FIGURE 2 is a top plan view of the device to an enlarged scale;

FIGURE 3 is a diametrical section to the same scale as FIGURE 2.

FIGURE 4 is a transverse section taken along line 44 of FIGURE 3 showingthe fluted or ribbed interior and exterior surfaces thereof, the latterperforming the reaming function;

FIGURE 5 is a diametrical section similar to FIGURE 3 except that aremovable thermal barrier has been shown positioned in spaced relationto the bottom of the device; and,

FIGURE 6 is a diametrical section similar to FIGURE 5 with the exceptionthat a permanent plastic thermal barrier has been shown in the base ofthe tool replacing the removable one.

Referring now ot the drawing for a detailed description of theinvention, and in particular to FIGURES 1-3 thereof, it will be seenthat the combination pipe tamper and reamer, which has been identifiedbroadly by numeral 10, is generally cup-shaped and includes a hollowfrusto-conical body 12 closed at the lower end thereof by a base orbottom 14. In the particular form shown, an annular rib or rim I6 isprovided along the upper edge to eliminate any chance of injuring thefinger when inserted therein. The body, base and rib areintegrallyformed from a metal such as aluminum or some heatresistantplastic of a type adapted to withstand temperatures substantially inexcess of 1000 F. which is ordinarily considered to be the ignitiontemperature of tobacco within a pipe bowl.

The body 12 is preferably tapered both inside and out and is sized toreceive the first joint of the smokers finger as indicated by dottedlines in FIGURE 1 by numeral 18. If no thermal barrier, other than thebase 14 of the device, is to be used inside thereof, the body 12 ispreferably elongated and tapered such that the tip of the users fingeris maintained in spaced relation to the bottom so that it will notbecome burned or blistered by reason of contact with the latter. Theinside surface of the body is preferably roughened or ribbed as shown at17 in order to grip the finger while the bottom is generally flat orsubstantially planar to provide for most efiicient tamping action. Ingeneral, the maximum outside diameter of the body is somewhat less thanthe diameter of the opening 20 into the bowl 212. of pipe 24. Of course,this fact is of little significance insofar as tamping the tobacco 26down into the bowl is concerned as long as the lower end of the tamperis of a size to pass through the opening 20 into the bowl deeply enoughto contact the tobacco; however, this becomes considerably moreimportant to the reaming operation soon to be described in connectionwith FIGURES 3 and 4.

Now, in FIGURES 5 and 6, it will be seen that means comprising a thermalbarrier, indicated in a general way by numeral 28, has been provided inthe unit located on or adjacent to the bottom 14. The purpose of thisthermal barrier is, of course, to insulate the tip of the users fingerfrom the hot metal at the base of the tamper. Preferably, the so-calledthermal barrier 28 should be formed from a thermal insulating materialable to withstand temperatures of approximately 1000 F. or more andprotect the users finger against burn injury at these temperatures forreasonable periods of time. It is generally recognized that burning pipetobacco confined in a pipe bowl can attain temperatures considerablyabove this figure.

The first modified form of the invention is that which has been shown inFIGURE 5 and in which the thermal barrier comprises an insulating disk30 formed from some material such as asbestos or the like. As shown, thediameter of disk 36 is somewhat greater than the internal diameter ofthe body 12 adjacent the bottom 14 so that it is deformed into a concaveconfiguration and held frictionally inside the unit when forced intoplace therein. Note that disk 30 has been indicated as being located inspaced relation to the bottom 14 producing a dead air space 32.therebetween for additional insulation. While this is the preferredlocation of disk 3% within the body, it, of course, can also rest on thebottom if desired although the insulating properties thereof becomessomewhat lessened.

In FIGURE 6, on the other hand, a different type of thermal barrier 28ahas been used and it will be seen to comprise a coating or layer 34 ofsome moldable heatresistant plastic that can be poured into the body inliquid form where it will harden and provide the necessary insulation.It will be apparent that the ribbed inside surface 17 of the body canalso be coated at the same time and with the same substance althoughthis is generally not required if the bottom is properly protected.

Finally, with reference to FIGURES 3 and 4 of the drawings, it will beseen that the outside of the body 12 is provided with avertically-ribbed surface that has been indicated broadly by numeral 36and which constitutes the reamer portion of the instant invention. Theribbed surface is formed by a series of alternating grooves 38 and lands40. The grooves 38 are substantially of partcircular section in theparticular form shown so that they define with the lands 40 sharp edges42 along their line of intersection. These sharp edges are designed toscrape the cake (not shown) from the inside of the pipe bowl when thedevice is placed on the users finger, inserted into the bowl and rotatedwith a reaming-action against the internal surface of the latter. Forthis reason, the maximum outside diameter of the body 12, with theexception of rim 16, should preferably be somewhat less than the openinginto the pipe bowl so that the reamer can be inserted substantially allthe way into the bottom of the bowl.

Having thus described the several useful and novel features of thecombination pipe tamper and reamer of the present invention, it will beseen that the many worthwhile objects for which it was designed havebeen achieved. While only a few specific embodiments of the inventionhave been illustrated in the accompanying drawings, we realize thatcertain changes and modifications therein may well occur to thoseskilled in the art within the broad teaching hereof; hence, it is ourintention that the scope of protection afforded hereby shall be limitedonly insofar as said limitations are expressly set forth in the appendedclaims.

What is claimed is:

l. The combination tamping and reaming tool for use in pipe bowls whichcomprises, a generally cupshaped member formed from a heat-resistantmaterial adapted to Withstand temperatures of not less thanapproximately 1000" B, said member including a hollow tapered bodyportion open at the large end thereof and closed at the small end toprovide a bottom, at least the small end of said body portion beingsized and shaped to pass into the open top of a pipe bowl, the largeopen end of said body portion being of a diameter to receive at least aportion of the first joint of a users finger, the outside of said bodyportion having a longitudinallyribbed surface, the inside surface of thebody being provided with a plurality of alternating lands and groovesextending longitudinally therein and adapted to engage the users fingerpreventing relative rotation therebetween and the ribbed surface on theoutside of the body comprising a plurality of lands and groovesextending substantially the full length thereof and arranged inalternating relation to one another, said lands forming lade-likeprojections adapted upon rotation against the inside of a pipe bowl toscrape any cake therefrom and a thermal barrier formed of aheat-resistant insulating material arranged and adapted to withstand andprotect a users finger against burn injury at temperatures of at leastapproximately 1000" F. positioned inside the body portion adjacent thebottom thereof.

2. The tamping and reaming tool as set forth in claim 1 in which thegrooves are substantially of part-circular section to define with thelands a sharp edge along the line of intersection therebetween.

3. The tamping and reaming tool as set forth in claim 1 in which thethermal barrier comprises a disk of insulating material of greaterdiameter than the minimum inside diameter of the body portion and lessdiameter than the open end thereof wedged in place adjacent the bottom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS279,524 Beaty June 19, 1883 635,369 Bowen Oct. 24, 1899 1,649,614Redhefier et al. Nov. 15, 1927 2,611,953 Bruening Sept. 30, 1952 FOREIGNPATENTS 11,956 Great Britain 1889 22,230 Great Britain 1901 23,662 GreatBritain 1911 349,806 Great Britain June 4, 1931

